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Mark Leiter RP | ATH
Phillies' Mark Leiter: Could move to bullpen
Manager Pete Mackanin said he is unsure what Leiter's role will be once Jared Eickhoff (back) returns from the disabled list, Tom Dougherty of CSN Philadelphia reports.
Eickhoff appears to be on track for a return from the disabled list on Sunday, which will bump Leiter from the rotation. Mackanin said he would like to keep Leiter in the bullpen unless GM Matt Klentak wants to keep him stretched out at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
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Kenley Jansen RP | DET
Dodgers' Kenley Jansen: Records 19th save in shaky fashion
Jansen allowed a home run, a walk and struck out one batter while recording the final two outs of Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks to earn his 19th save of the season.
The Dodgers entered the ninth inning with a four-run lead, but Jansen was called upon to record the final two outs of the game after Brandon Morrow allowed two Diamondbacks to reach base. Jansen retired his first batter faced before serving up a three-run homer to Daniel Descalso. With the D-Backs pulling within one run, he walked Jake Lamb before ultimately striking out Chris Herrmann to end things. The shaky performance is just a small blip in Jansen's otherwise masterful 2017 campaign.
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Brandon Maurer RP | KC
Padres' Brandon Maurer: Notches 17th save Tuesday
Maurer struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to pick up his 17th save of the season in a 1-0 win over Cleveland.
He's still prone to occasional bad outings but Maurer has now converted 12 straight save opportunities dating back to May 28, and Tuesday's performance brought his ERA back under 6.00 -- 5.94, to be precise. As long as he keeps getting the job done he'll hold onto his spot as San Diego's closer, but his leash remains a short one.
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Mark Leiter RP | ATH
Phillies' Mark Leiter: Allows two runs in loss to Pirates
Leiter (1-1) allowed two runs on four hits and two walks across 5.1 innings in Tuesday's loss to the Pirates. He struck out five.
Leiter cruised through five innings, allowing his only run on a wild double play in the third, but was removed after yielding a solo home run to Andrew McCutchen with one out in the sixth. Unfortunately, his offense was unable to get anything going against Jameson Taillon, sticking Leiter to his first loss of the season despite a solid effort. He has posted a 3.31 ERA with a 16:3 K:BB over 16.1 innings in his last three starts, and he appears to be gaining a grasp on his spot in the rotation. He's not currently scheduled to make another start before the All-Star break, but it would not be surprising to see him given a longer look when the second half commences.
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Jimmy Nelson RP | LAD
Brewers' Jimmy Nelson: Fans eight in Tuesday's win
Nelson (7-4) allowed an unearned run on six hits while striking out eight over seven innings in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Orioles.
The Brewers bats supplied plenty of fireworks on July 4 with four homers, giving Nelson more than enough offense to cruise to an easy victory. The right-hander has now won five of his last six decisions and delivered quality starts in eight of his last 11 outings, and he'll take a 3.20 ERA into his final start before the All-Star break Sunday on the road against the Yankees.
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Logan Taylor RP | NYM
Mets' Logan Taylor: Suffers concussion in robbery attempt
Taylor was the victim of an attempted robbery Saturday in Salt Lake City and sustained a concussion during the incident, Betsy Helfand of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. He was later placed on the 7-day disabled list at Triple-A Las Vegas.
According to the police report, Taylor was approached by a homeless man carrying a tire iron and a sock full rocks and was struck in the back of the head after refusing to hand over his wallet. Taylor was fortunate to avoid a more serious injury in the incident, but did require a trip to the hospital and required six or seven staples in the back of his head to seal a gash. The 25-year-old has since received clearance to travel with the team, but he'll have to pass through all steps of the concussion protocol before appearing in games again. Taylor has posted a 3.96 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 38.2 innings in relief this season.
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Jeff Hoffman RP | MIN
Rockies' Jeff Hoffman: Picks up fifth win against Cincinnati
Hoffman (5-1) allowed three runs on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts over seven innings and took home the victory Monday against the Reds.
Hoffman has been steady for the Rockies, having allowed more than three runs in a start just once in eight tries, back on June 21 against Arizona (3.2 innings, nine earned runs). Even with the two home runs he allowed Monday night, Hoffman has allowed just five over his first eight starts in the Rockies' rotation. If he can maintain a homer rate like that going forward, he'll be a success in Colorado.
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Brent Suter RP | ATL
Brewers' Brent Suter: Dominates O's for first win of season
Suter (1-1) allowed one unearned run on four hits and a walk across six innings in Monday's win over the Orioles. He struck out eight.
Suter dominated in this one, throwing first-pitch strikes to 15 of 22 batters while inducing 19 swinging strikes while staying in the zone at a 69 percent clip. He scattered baserunners for the most part and was only scored upon after a man reached third on an error in the third inning. Suter went six innings for the first time in his big-league career, notching career highs in strikeouts and pitches thrown. He seems to have earned a longer look in the rotation and will take a strong 3.00 ERA (albeit with a mediocre 1.29 WHIP) into Saturday's matchup with the Yankees.
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Brent Suter RP | ATL
Brewers' Brent Suter: Earns another start
Manager Craig Counsell said Suter will make another start for the injured Chase Anderson (oblique), Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Suter earned himself another turn in the rotation after tossing a gem in Monday's spot start. He registered a career-high eight strikeouts and allowed just four hits and a walk across six innings of one-run (unearned) ball. Suter's next matchup won't be easy, however, as he's scheduled to face the Yankees in New York on Saturday.
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Mike Mayers RP | TOR
Cardinals' Mike Mayers: Moves back to Triple-A
Mayers was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Monday.
Mayers was called upon to cover three innings in relief Sunday against the Nationals and wasn't going to be available for the next few days, so he'll head to the minors as the Cardinals bring aboard a fresh arm in Luke Weaver. Should Mayers resurface with the big club in the second half, he likely wouldn't be ticketed for much more than mop-up duty out of the bullpen.